Wesley’s Place

Police Chief Tim Gray can’t help but think about what happened last August when he passes by the driveway of 1406 South Main Street in Paris. Six-year-old Wesley Mullins was found slain in his grandfather’s garage. His grandfather’s house and two other residences were demolished to make way for Wesley’s Place, a facility dedicated to his memory.

Paris building will honor slain boy

PARIS — Police Chief Tim Gray can’t help but think about what happened last August when he passes by the driveway of 1406 South Main Street.

At a white garage at the end of the driveway, he and investigators found the body of 6-year-old Wesley Mullins.

In the coming year, the garage and the neighboring homes will be replaced with “Wesley’s Place” — a building dedicated to his memory. Demolition started Tuesday on the properties, and the garage will be torn down Wednesday.

“There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t drive by and look down that driveway and see what we saw that first night,” Gray said. “At the time, no one could have ever dreamed that something positive would come out of such a tragedy.”

Construction is expected to begin in July and the building would open in December. The single-story facility will be about 3,000 square feet and have offices for non-profit organizations, a conference room, and reception and library areas.

Lewis “Buck” Ballard is awaiting an October trial on charges of murder and first-degree sodomy in Wesley’s death. The indictment says Wesley was repeatedly struck in the head with a blunt object.

Wesley of Winchester, had been staying with his grandfather, Bobby Mullins. Ballard was Bobby Mullins’ roommate.

An anonymous donor provided money to purchase Bobby Mullins’ former home and neighboring houses at 1408 and 1412 South Main Street.

No one has lived in Bobby Mullins’ home since Wesley’s death, family members said.

The money from the donor also helped establish Wesley’s Place Inc., which is awaiting approval for non-profit status. The organization has two board members, one of them Wesley’s aunt, Pamela Jacques of Lexington, who is Bobby Mullins’ daughter.

“It’s a dream come true that someone could come forth and have such a heart that they could offer such a thing,” Jacques said. “It’s unbelievable. I’m just very grateful.”

Donations for the project are being sought. The building is expected to cost about $325,000. The project has more than $50,000 in community pledges, most in the form of donated services and materials.

Wesley’s godfather, Jeff Mullins, who is also a cousin, said he is grateful for the outpouring of support.

“The whole community should be commended with how they have helped us get through this,” he said.

My best friend and I walked right past his house and seen Wesley playing outside around 12am the night of his death, and she walked back through town and still seen Wesley outside playing and the old man sitting on the proch drinking, he smelled so bad of alcohol that we could smell it from the street. Everyday when I hear of children being beat, raped, killed, all I can think of poor little Wesley. I know in my heart that “mr.ballard”, I don’t even want to refer to him by his name, did this. It is a crying shame and i feel sorry for whoever is in his defense, he is a sick bastard and deserves more then to be hung. It is a great thing that everyone is donating towards Wesleys place, I did my fair share of donating for this. I hope Little Wesley rests in peace and God bless him and his family and everyone who has made this possible.

he was family and we will love and miss him so much and the man that done this will suffer because i will see to it that he never lives his life the same it takes a sick basterd to do something like that and thats what hwe is god bless you wesley i love you and miss you..

This should have never happened. Too many bad things are happening to our childern. It breaks my heart, i didnt know this child but just looking at his face in pictures, I cant help but cry. Why do so many childern suffer like this, weve got to do something to keep these sick people away from our childern. I do believe once someone has hurt a child should never be set free. They will just do it again, its a sickness. It cant be cured. I dont care if they kill, molest, whatever the crime against a child, dont let them out of prison. Anyone that would hurt someone so innocent as a child has no conscience or heart. A child would never hurt anyone and they look up to us and trust us and the things people do to them. Childern are the only thing is this world pure and innocent and love you unconditionally. I rell you i could not sit there and look at that man who did that to wesley. I would want to make him feel pain like wesley did. Repeatly inflict pain on him till he crys for me to kill him. Killing him would be to easy for him, he needs to be reminded everyday what he did and torture him everyday. I know im know im not without sin, but to be what that man is the worst thing to be.

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